diff --git a/docs/source/install/install.txt b/docs/source/install/install.txt
index b95aa21..33e19c2 100644
--- a/docs/source/install/install.txt
+++ b/docs/source/install/install.txt
@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ All of the subpackages come with IPython, so you don't need to download and
install them separately. However, to use a given subpackage, you will need to
install all of its dependencies.
-
Please let us know if you have problems installing IPython or any of its
dependencies. Officially, IPython requires Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.1, or 3.2.
@@ -17,28 +16,24 @@ dependencies. Officially, IPython requires Python 2.6, 2.7, 3.1, or 3.2.
longer work on Python <= 2.5. You can find older versions of IPython which
supported Python <= 2.5 `here `_
-Some of the installation approaches use the :mod:`setuptools` package and its
+Some of the installation approaches use the :mod:`distribute` package and its
:command:`easy_install` command line program. In many scenarios, this provides
-the most simple method of installing IPython and its dependencies. It is not
-required though. More information about :mod:`setuptools` can be found on its
-website.
+the most simple method of installing IPython and its dependencies. More
+information about :mod:`distribute` can be found on its website.
.. note::
- On Windows, IPython *does* depend on :mod:`setuptools`, and it is recommended
- that you install the :mod:`distribute` package, which improves
- :mod:`setuptools` and fixes various bugs. Installing on Python 3 requires
- :mod:`distribute` on all platforms.
-
- We hope to remove this dependency in the future.
+ On Windows, IPython has a hard dependency on :mod:`distribute`. We hope to
+ change this in the future, but for now on Windows, you *must* install
+ :mod:`distribute`.
More general information about installing Python packages can be found in
-Python's documentation at http://www.python.org/doc/.
+`Python's documentation `_.
Quickstart
==========
-If you have :mod:`setuptools` installed and you are on OS X or Linux (not
+If you have :mod:`distribute` installed and you are on OS X or Linux (not
Windows), the following will download and install IPython *and* the main
optional dependencies:
@@ -46,9 +41,8 @@ optional dependencies:
$ easy_install ipython[zmq,test]
-This will get pyzmq, which is needed for
-IPython's parallel computing features as well as the nose package, which will
-enable you to run IPython's test suite.
+This will get pyzmq, which is needed for IPython's parallel computing features
+as well as the nose package, which will enable you to run IPython's test suite.
To run IPython's test suite, use the :command:`iptest` command:
@@ -66,14 +60,14 @@ with no external dependencies. However, some Python distributions
(particularly on Windows and OS X), don't come with a working :mod:`readline`
module. The IPython shell will work without :mod:`readline`, but will lack
many features that users depend on, such as tab completion and command line
-editing. If you install IPython with :mod:`setuptools`, (e.g. with `easy_install`),
+editing. If you install IPython with :mod:`distribute`, (e.g. with `easy_install`),
then the appropriate :mod:`readline` for your platform will be installed.
See below for details of how to make sure you have a working :mod:`readline`.
Installation using easy_install
-------------------------------
-If you have :mod:`setuptools` installed, the easiest way of getting IPython is
+If you have :mod:`distribute` installed, the easiest way of getting IPython is
to simple use :command:`easy_install`:
.. code-block:: bash
@@ -101,24 +95,22 @@ permissions, you may need to run the last command with :command:`sudo`.
Windows
-------
-.. note::
+As mentioned above, on Windows, IPython requires :mod:`distribute`, and it also
+requires the PyReadline library to properly support coloring and keyboard
+management (features that the default windows console doesn't have). So on
+Windows, the installation procedure is:
- On Windows, IPython requires :mod:`setuptools` or :mod:`distribute`.
-
- We hope to remove this dependency in the future.
+1. Install `distribute `_.
-There are a few caveats for Windows users. The main issue is that a basic
-``python setup.py install`` approach won't create ``.bat`` file or Start Menu
-shortcuts, which most users want. To get an installation with these, you can
-use any of the following alternatives:
+2. Install `pyreadline `_. You can use
+ the command ``easy_install pyreadline`` from a terminal, or the binary
+ installer appropriate for your platform from the PyPI page.
-1. Install using :command:`easy_install`.
-
-2. Install using our binary ``.exe`` Windows installer, which can be found
- `here `_
-
-3. Install from source, but using :mod:`setuptools` (``python setupegg.py
- install``).
+3. Install IPython itself, which you can download from `PyPI
+ `_ or from `our site
+ `_. Note that on Windows 7, you *must*
+ right-click and 'Run as administrator' for the Start menu shortcuts to be
+ created.
IPython by default runs in a terminal window, but the normal terminal
application supplied by Microsoft Windows is very primitive. You may want to
@@ -129,14 +121,6 @@ from the working terminal.
.. _Console: http://sourceforge.net/projects/console
-Note for Windows 64 bit users: you may have difficulties with the stock
-installer on 64 bit systems; in this case (since we currently do not have 64
-bit builds of the Windows installer) your best bet is to install from source
-with the setuptools method indicated in #3 above. See `this bug report`_ for
-further details.
-
-.. _this bug report: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ipython/+bug/382214
-
Installing the development version
----------------------------------
@@ -151,11 +135,8 @@ need to have Git installed on your system. Then just do:
$ cd ipython
$ python setup.py install
-Again, this last step on Windows won't create ``.bat`` files or Start Menu
-shortcuts, so you will have to use one of the other approaches listed above.
-
Some users want to be able to follow the development branch as it changes. If
-you have :mod:`setuptools` installed, this is easy. Simply replace the last
+you have :mod:`distribute` installed, this is easy. Simply replace the last
step by:
.. code-block:: bash
@@ -170,6 +151,7 @@ just do:
$ git pull
+
Basic optional dependencies
===========================
@@ -186,33 +168,24 @@ read on for more details.
readline
--------
-In principle, all Python distributions should come with a working
-:mod:`readline` module. But, reality is not quite that simple. There are two
-common situations where you won't have a working :mod:`readline` module:
-
-* If you are using the built-in Python on Mac OS X.
-
-* If you are running Windows, which doesn't have a :mod:`readline` module.
-
-When IPython is installed with :mod:`setuptools`, (e.g. with `easy_install`),
-readline is added as a dependency on OS X, and PyReadline on Windows, and will
-be installed on your system. However, if you do not use setuptools, you may
-have to install one of these packages yourself.
+As indicated above, on Windows, PyReadline is a *mandatory* dependency.
+PyReadline is a separate, Windows only implementation of readline that uses
+native Windows calls through :mod:`ctypes`. The easiest way of installing
+PyReadline is you use the binary installer available `here
+`_.
-On OS X, the built-in Python doesn't not have :mod:`readline` because of
-license issues. Starting with OS X 10.5 (Leopard), Apple's built-in Python has
-a BSD-licensed not-quite-compatible readline replacement. As of IPython 0.9,
-many of the issues related to the differences between readline and libedit seem
-to have been resolved. While you may find libedit sufficient, we have
-occasional reports of bugs with it and several developers who use OS X as their
-main environment consider libedit unacceptable for productive, regular use with
-IPython.
+On OSX, if you are using the built-in Python shipped by Apple, you will be
+missing a full readline implementation as Apple ships instead a library called
+``libedit`` that provides only some of readline's functionality. While you may
+find libedit sufficient, we have occasional reports of bugs with it and several
+developers who use OS X as their main environment consider libedit unacceptable
+for productive, regular use with IPython.
Therefore, we *strongly* recommend that on OS X you get the full
:mod:`readline` module. We will *not* consider completion/history problems to
be bugs for IPython if you are using libedit.
-To get a working :mod:`readline` module, just do (with :mod:`setuptools`
+To get a working :mod:`readline` module, just do (with :mod:`distribute`
installed):
.. code-block:: bash
@@ -225,14 +198,11 @@ installed):
python.org binaries) already have readline installed so you likely don't
have to do this step.
-If needed, the readline egg can be build and installed from source (see the
-wiki page at
-http://web.archive.org/web/20090614162410/ipython.scipy.org/moin/InstallationOSXLeopard).
+When IPython is installed with :mod:`distribute`, (e.g. using the
+``easy_install`` command), readline is added as a dependency on OS X, and
+PyReadline on Windows, and will be installed on your system. However, if you
+do not use distribute, you may have to install one of these packages yourself.
-On Windows, you will need the PyReadline module. PyReadline is a separate,
-Windows only implementation of readline that uses native Windows calls through
-:mod:`ctypes`. The easiest way of installing PyReadline is you use the binary
-installer available `here `_.
nose
----
@@ -281,13 +251,12 @@ Dependencies for IPython.parallel (parallel computing)
:mod:`IPython.kernel` has been replaced by :mod:`IPython.parallel`,
which uses ZeroMQ for all communication.
-IPython.parallel provides a nice architecture for parallel computing. The
-main focus of this architecture is on interactive parallel computing. These
-features require just one package: PyZMQ. See the next section for PyZMQ
-details.
+IPython.parallel provides a nice architecture for parallel computing, with a
+focus on fluid interactive workflows. These features require just one package:
+PyZMQ. See the next section for PyZMQ details.
On a Unix style platform (including OS X), if you want to use
-:mod:`setuptools`, you can just do:
+:mod:`distribute`, you can just do:
.. code-block:: bash
@@ -346,8 +315,8 @@ started withe command ``ipython notebook``.
pyzmq
-----
-Like the :mod:`IPython.parallel` and :mod:`IPython.frontend.qt.console` packages,
-the HTML notebook requires ZeroMQ and PyZMQ.
+Like the :mod:`IPython.parallel` and :mod:`IPython.frontend.qt.console`
+packages, the HTML notebook requires ZeroMQ and PyZMQ.
Tornado
-------